It is well-known that hunters, photographers and other lovers of the outdoors like to use artificial sound-producing devices to attract the attention of the wildlife animals that they search out in the wild. The major purpose of such sound-producing devices is to draw the animal within a suitable range of the photographer's camera or the hunter's weapon, be it a handgun, a rifle or a bow and arrow. Although some of these devices are percussion type devices, the vast majority are wind instruments that use a vibrating reed to produce the sound when the user blows through the device.
As pointed out in other patents directed at the same purpose, many of the prior art devices require a skillful user in order to properly emulate the desired sound. Almost all of the prior art devices also require the skillful user to cup both hands around the portion of the device that protrudes from the user's mouth. This cupping or holding of the device is necessary to produce a proper sound, that is, a sound that is of sufficiently low frequency to attract the desired species.
A second reason for holding the devices known in the prior art is the fact that the devices have a substantial portion that protrudes from the user's mouth and the weight of the device is not comfortably accommodated by the teeth and jaws alone. This may present a substantial problem to the user who needs to hold and aim a camera or weapon. It is particularly vexing to the archer, who requires use of both hands, as well as the ability to pull the drawstring close to the face.
One such animal calling device is taught by Overholt, Sr., in U.S. Pat. No. 4,915,660, issued Apr. 10, 1990. Overholt, Sr., teaches the use of a restricted bore opening in a reed instrument to produce the desirable low tone. Although the device may not require both hands to use it, the device appears to be large enough to require at least one hand.
Many of the devices known in this art are limited to the production of a single sound and are not "tunable" to the individual user. This results in an outdoorsman being forced to carry several different devices into the field with him and to become skilled at the use of each of them. Certainly, the unskilled use of such devices will result only in scaring away the desired prey.